


A New Spin on an Old Story (Also known as 'Pin-Up')

by learningtoacceptchange



Category: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M, Korrasami - Freeform, Tumblr writing, fun stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 11:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5415767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/learningtoacceptchange/pseuds/learningtoacceptchange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra keeps her promise to help Wu bring peace to the former Earth Kingdom, but it might be more difficult than she thought. While pairing up with Mako and Bolin, she deals with an age-old and familiar family feud... all the time thinking of the woman waiting for her back in Republic City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Surprise for the Avatar

“You gonna be alright?” Bolin raised an eyebrow towards Korra, as they walked towards the village’s open gates. 

Blue eyes were looking at the ground in a half-open gaze, but turned up as Korra smiled briefly, her stray bangs falling out of place behind being brushed behind an ear. “I’ll be fine. It’s just for a few weeks." 

The earthbender nodded in understanding. "I feel the same way when Opal has to go out on her missions.” He grinned, showing a broad, friendly smile, green eyes laughing. “When we meet up after those, oh man, those reunions are amazing!”

It was Korra’s turn to raise an eyebrow, momentarily forgetting her own thoughts as she smirked. “Careful, Bolin, you don’t want to kiss and tell too much." 

Bolin actually coughed, his cheeks turning visibly red. "Well, uh, erm… I mean, um, she just remembers how much I liked those veggie wraps that we had in Zaofu, so we have them for dinner at least one night-” The blush faded as he relaxed, continuing to speak as Korra smiled, thinking of why they were both out in one of the northern-most states of the former Earth Kingdom. 

Wu had been travelling from village to village in the colonies of the old Earth Kingdom, visiting with the people. Mako had needed to save him from a few embarrassing incidents, but mostly the populace were impressed with Wu ‘actually going among the people’ like his ancestor, King Kuei. 

Mako had sent a radio transmission to Republic CIty, asking for both Bolin and Korra to arrive to help with negotiations between two patriarchs of the same village. 

“Apparently both of them had some kind of old legend dealing with how the Avatar had caused their families to live in peace instead of feuding,” Mako explained in his message. “But there’s another dispute between them… something that happened further down the line. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re Nuktuk fans. They might become so star-struck, it’ll take some of the pressure off out here." 

Mako said that the longest they would stay out there would be two weeks, but his brother and his friend took that news with a grain of salt, packing extra supplies if needed. 

Korra remembered telling Asami of the situation, finding it difficult to meet the other woman’s eyes for longer than a few seconds. Her words were stilled as Asami pulled Korra into a sudden embrace. 

"The world needs it’s Avatar,” the engineer had whispered, her breath warm against Korra’s ear. “And I need you to return home to me. So, be safe, okay?" 

All Korra could do in that moment was nod, pulling Asami in closer to take a slow, deep breath of Asami’s comforting scent- oil, grease, perfume- and to murmur back a soft 'Okay’ in reply. 

”…ora? Korra? You drifting out on me?“ Bolin’s grin became sly, waggling his eyebrows up and down. "Thinking about Asami again?" 

"Wha-? I was- I mean,” Korra blinked and stammered, now her turn to have a pink blush burning. Bolin tossed his head back and laughed. 

“Gotcha!” His voice dropping some of the teasing tone and softened. “Honestly, I’m glad you two are doing so well after all of this insanity.” The earthbender gave a deep, dramatic sigh, shaking his head. “Dealing with a small spat between two family clans seems more relaxing than having to clean up an entire city.” 

Korra showed her crooked grin. “Heh, you’re one to talk. When you’re not helping to rebuild walls and buildings, you’re signing autographs-”

“Yeah, but those fans usually follow me because they want a picture with the famous ‘Avatar’ after she’s re-routed an entire canal of water!” Bolin joked, elbowing her in the side. 

Walking through the gates, they were met by the town’s governor. “Welcome to the state of Gan Jin-Zhang, Avatar Korra! And to you as well, Bolin,” the woman smiled tiredly, raising her head from a polite nod. “My name is Ki.” 

Korra and Bolin nodded back in reply.

“It is rather late. I will show you to your quarters, or if you would prefer,” the woman paused thoughtfully. “The former prince Wu and his retinue are in the common room of our boarding house, where we have rooms prepared for your arrival.” 

Bolin glanced around at the village. A few buildings stood out, some apartment buildings and others lit with tavern and cooking fires. “This place doesn’t seem like it’s big enough to need a boarding house,” he remarked. 

Ki smiled. “We get quite a few travelers to this place, as well as miners and woodcutters. It is a rather famous place for it’s lore and the connection to the previous Avatar.” 

Korra looked over at Ki. “Tenzin filled me in on the basics of the story. Aang, Katara and Sokka met with the Zhang and the Gan Jin clans during the relocation to Ba Sing Se and managed to stop them from feuding.” 

Ki nodded. “Yes, Aang did manage to secure a truce, which was quite a feat.” She laughed briefly, then sighed. “But now the Zhangs and the Gan Jins are feuding yet again.”

Bolin grinned. “We’ll take care of it. With persuasive discussion and friendly discourse!” Korra nodded, a hand reaching up to grip her bag, hearing the rustle of something against the drawstring. 

The light shone outside as the doors to the boarding house opened. It wasn’t as opulent as a hotel in Republic City, but it was certainly welcoming. Carved wooden chairs and tables were placed near windows, the center of the room surrounded by two staircases that went up and around a center desk, where uniformed clerks ran to and fro. 

“Hey, Mako!” Bolin waved, calling out to the figure standing at the bar. Mako looked up, grinning as he walked to his little brother, the two of them embracing after a few mock punches. When Mako was freed, Korra grinned before hugging him. 

“Hey, Korra,” Mako smiled after they parted. “How’s the city doing?” 

“Slowly getting rebuilt, but it’s going great. How’s things with Wu?” Korra raised an eyebrow, smirking. “He’s not getting some spa treatment or something already?”

“No, but they have some great hot springs here!” Wu walked up to the three friends, a towel over his narrow shoulders, but fully dressed, his skin almost shining from the previous heat he had been in. “Just got back from a session in one. In a word; Re-fresh-ing.” He grinned. “I’m glad you both could make it to help out!” 

Bolin did have the good grace to look just a little sheepish. “Ah, hey, prince Wu,” he laughed, awkwardly. “Uh… thanks. And about the things I said before-”

Wu waved a hand unconcernedly. “All that is slurry under the bridge, Bolin,” he said, graciously. “And you don’t have to call me ‘prince’ or any titles, just Wu, okay? Besides, you and Korra are the main draw here-”

“What do you mean, ‘main draw’?” Korra said, fatigue trying to sneak into her words but losing out as she focused on Wu. “What exactly is going on here?” 

“Wu and I can explain tomorrow, first thing in the morning,” Mako said, tilting his head. “I figured you two could get some sleep first and be ready to take it on after freshening up.” 

Korra had to fight back a scowl, but Bolin suddenly yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “It does sound like a good idea,” he conceded. 

Korra sighed. “Alright. But first thing tomorrow, alright?” 

The three men nodded as the party walked towards the desk. Korra and Bolin were handed keys, finding their rooms were across the hall from each other. 

“Have a good night, Korra,” Bolin smiled, stifling a yawn. Korra laughed, as she waved in reply. 

The room was sparse; a writing desk, oil lamp, woven rug, wash bowl and cloth, and a single window with a thin curtain as decoration, but the bed looked comfortable bearing clean sheets and a down comforter. 

Korra opened her bag, finding it packed as she had arranged it before, with a slight difference; a folded envelope, wrinkled and filled, sat on top of her clothing. She took it out and opened it, upending the contents over the bed. 

A bundle, tied with ribbon, fell on the comforter, along with a single sheet of paper. Korra picked it up, blue eyes widening as she scanned the words. 

“Dear Korra, 

You mean the world to me. And I know you have to go and protect the world and the spirits from whatever threats may happen. I can go to the park and see your statue- I admit I talk to it sometimes, it helps… Somedays, it feels like I was talking to you. Weird, right? 

Anyway, I thought that since you can’t carry a statue everywhere you go, you could carry these instead. Just please, don’t let the others see them. I’m still a little embarrassed. But the whole time, I kept thinking about you.” 

Korra glanced from the letter down the bundle tied with ribbon, reaching down to untie the red ribbon as the paper fell open, revealing the contents. She blinked, then glanced back at the letter. 

“I kept thinking about how good it would feel to hug you again. I thought about when we went on that date to the tower- remember the turtle ducks?- and how good you felt, so strong and warm and loving. I thought about that night, and those nights afterward. And… I think you’ll get the idea. 

One thing- look at one picture each night, and when you run out, start at the beginning again. Because I certainly know, no matter what I’m doing, my thoughts keep running back to you.

Be safe, Korra, and come home to me. I love you. Asami.”

Korra ran her fingers over the lipstick print next to Asami’s name, her smile warm. Placing the letter down, she looked at the bundle, inhaling sharply as her hand reached out, snatching up the first photo and then wrapping the bundle up securely, tying the ribbon again with the letter before giving her full attention to the photo. 

It was a picture of Asami. She was sitting in a wooden chair in full view of the camera. She wore her racing jacket and pants, and was fully clothed- but she would never have looked like this in public…

Her luxurious black wavy hair was in disarray, as if she had been previously sleeping… Her jacket unfastened and thrown over the chair, shoulders bared and arched, her undershirt accentuating her curves, one leg crossed over the other in a playful way, a look of teasing in those beautiful jade eyes as she smiled mysteriously at the camera- and the viewer. 

Korra could feel the rising warmth on her cheeks, licking at suddenly dry lips as she blinked, turning the photo in her fingers. 

The back of the photo simply read; “Want me to take you for a spin?” 

Korra laughed, absently rubbing the blush on her cheek with the palm of a hand as she replaced the bundle and letter into the envelope, shoving it into her backpack as she stripped off her boots and outer garments, slipping between the covers as she studed the photo until she finally yawned in defeat and blew out the flame of the oil lamp.

When she finally fell asleep, Korra was still holding the photo, smiling as she dreamed.


	2. Meetings

There was a knock at the door, as Korra lifted her head from from the pillow, eyes tightly shut. Her hair stuck out at a weird angle as she managed to speak. 

“Wha- who’s… there?” 

“It’s me, Bolin! It’s your wake-up call! Breakfast is ready and then we deal with the family feud outside!” The earthbender’s voice rang out, even with the muffling of the door. “You ready to go?” 

“Give me… a minute,” Korra attempted to say, before yawning hugely, stretching her arms over her head before sitting up, tossing the comforter back. She reached down, shrugging into her pants, then pulling on her boots one at a time, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. 

Standing up, Korra walked over to the wash bowl, using the newly damp cloth to rinse her face, awakening fully from the cold water against her face and eyes. A thought flashed through her mind, and in a panic she twisted away from the table, running back towards the bed, eyes frantic. Reaching out, her fingers closed over the photograph, at the same time her foot bumped on a knot in the floorboards. She fell against the bed, the mattress squeaking as she gave a muffled ‘oof’ from the impact. 

“Korra? You alright?” Bolin said, his concern evident even through the door. 

“Give me one more minute!” Korra raised her head from the comforter, pushing herself to her feet. The photo was placed into the envelope, alongside the letter and the wrapped bundle. She grinned before tightly knotting the backpack shut. 

Bolin blinked as Korra opened the door, dressed and appearing ready, her bangs still slightly wet from a last brush of water over her face. 

“Mornings still evil for you?” Bolin said sympathetically. Korra wiped a hand over her face, managing a grin as she shut and locked the door behind her.“They’ve been better,” she countered. 

The two walked downstairs to the hallway entrance, where the sounds of clanking glass and pottery was heard, along with numerous quiet conversations. They walked to a table where Mako and Wu sat, taking seats across from them. A server came by, dropping off two plates of what looked like sliced raw fruits, and steaming jook that smelled of ginger and cinnamon. 

“So, what’s the issue with the two clans?” Korra asked, after they had all eaten their fill. Wu glanced at Mako, who nodded. 

“The Zhangs and the Gan-Jins are the main clans here. They’re the reason why the state bears their names; the Zhangs settled on land rich in minerals, and are successful miners. The Gan-Jins became artists, crafting wooden and metal items for trade and use. They haven’t had any major disagreements, except for this current problem.” 

“The Zhangs and the Gan-Jins can’t agree on who should be the respresentative for their state,” Wu interrupted. “I thought it would be Ki, but she’s held her office for two terms of service.” He paused, thinking. “And maybe she’d be eager to retire, she looks about ready to fall over asleep-”

“Anyway,” Mako continued. “We need to find someone they can both agree with would be key representatives for their state, and who would be willing to travel to Ba Sing Se to meet with the other representatives.” He shook his head. “But they refuse to meet together for any kind of talks, due to their hostility.” 

“Sounds like you need some smooth-talking to deal with the families,” Bolin grinned. “Are there any benders on either side?” 

Mako shrugged. “Don’t know for certain. All I know is, this state needs the support of both families to thrive. Without it, the place and trade as they know it is at a stand-still.” 

“Are we able to meet with either family today?” Korra asked, taking a large sip of her tea. 

“I don’t think we have to worry about that,” Wu said, staring over her shoulder. Korra and Bolin turned as they heard the doors swing open, two groups of people marching into the common room. 

The first group wore brown clothing, stained with dirt and grease, hands gnarled and arms brawn from hours and years of working with rocks. A grizzled man with a gray beard, yet sharp dark eyes glared as he pointed accusing across at the other group. 

“You Gan-Jins need to stop sneaking over to our estate and stealing our ores! There are plenty of rocks on your land to do your fancy carvings!” 

The second group wore white clothing, golden designs etched into the fabric, but carrying belts with metal tools held within, the scent of woodsap and rock dust evident as they walked in. A white-haired woman sneered in contempt, arms folded across her chest. 

“You’re one to talk, Zhang! It seems every day I see one of your boys sneaking out of our forests with a tree strapped to their backs! You may be as strong as rocks, but your brains are obviously full of them!” 

This announcement was met by discontented growls and angry retorts. Korra stood up from the table, looking to the others. Mako nodded as Bolin straightened his shoulders back. Wu gulped nervously, but nodded as well as he stood at Mako’s side. Korra stepped forward as the others followed, stopping just before they reached the middle of the two groups. 

The grizzled man was the first to notice them. “Huh? You need to get out of here, strangers, this is a private conversation!” 

The white-haired woman blinked, nose turning up. “As much as I dislike agreeing with him, he’s right! I can’t stand nosey parkers who just feel free to butt right into a dispute!” 

A tall young man at the white-haired woman’s side looked at Korra, and his dark eyes widened. “Wait, Grandma! I recognize her!” He pointed towards Korra, who gave off a slight smirk at his next words. “She’s the Avatar!” 

The Zhangs and the Gan Jins gasped, murmurs of amazement escaping their lips. A woman from the Zhangs stepped forward, raising a muscular arm towards the slight form hiding half-way behind Mako. 

“Grand-dad, that’s Prince Wu! Well, the former prince anyway… but he’s one of the royal family! He made that recording we use to soothe the badgermoles, remember?” 

This raised another murmur, which was interrupted by twin cries from the back of each group. 

“Oh my gosh, that tall heart-throb, that’s Mako! That dreamy firebender from Republic City! He was captain of the Fire Ferrets, right?”

“Isn’t that his brother… Bolin! Wow! Guys, that’s Nuktuk, from those movers!” 

The hostilities were momentarily forgotten, as the two groups mingled to surge past the bemused elders to greet the four. Bolin found himself signing several posters, while Wu and Mako were given several handshakes. Korra found herself met with compliments, and a few offers from some muscled men to arm-wrestle. 

“You should come over to our home, we Gan Jins are number one with our type of hospitality!” One of them offered to Korra, only to be pushed aside. 

“Nah, come visit us Zhangs, we can show you how good things are around here!” 

This nearly started a shouting match before Wu stepped between them. 

“Fellahs, wait a minute… how about we do this? You can have two of us as guests at your place,” he nodded at the Zhang, “While the others visit the Gan Jins? Then we just switch, and everyone gets equal time with everyone!” 

This suggestion was met by skeptical looks which gave way to approving nods. “Not bad reasoning at all! You must’ve been paying attention at college in Ba Sing Se!” The Zhang laughed, a swung hand actually knocking Wu over into Mako’s arms. 

The two groups were eventually parted and left the boarding house peaceably. Ki raced in moments later, eyes wide as she ran past the group of four to the front desk. “I heard the Zhangs and Gan Jins had arrived in town, what happened?!” 

The front desk clerk shook his head. “They were about to get into it, but those four managed to somehow get them to calm down and leave! Haven’t seen the like before,” he managed. 

Ki turned, giving a sigh of relief before bowing in Korra and the others. “I can’t thank you enough, I thought they were going to cause some serious property damage, er… again. So, have you patched things up between the two houses?” 

Korra shook her head. “No, but thanks to Wu, I think we have a way to find some common ground between both families.” She smiled. “Looks like we have some time to spend getting to know the village. Do you have any shops or markets?” 

Ki nodded. “Right outside of the boarding house, and near the town square.” 

***

The rest of the day was spent wandering the local markets, talking to the shopkeepers who dealt with the Zhangs and the Gan Jins. Individuals from each group were alright, and one would more than not tolerate the other, but when the younger generation from each clan would meet, some kind of altercation would take place- either a brawl or an impromptu contest of sorts, leading to a brawl. But even with that, the basic opinion of each family was positive. 

“Yeah, they’re problems, but they’re still our problems!” One of the middle-aged merchants cackled, holding up a handful of refined ore. “Look at this! The Zhangs have quality stuff, I can repair anything in my forge with it!”

“The Gan Jins are amazing at crafting,” another merchant remarked, holding up a piece of wood that showed knotwork, actually carved to resemble links of fine chain woven into itself. 

Several of the other merchants only spoke the same, showing the group may of the crafts from the Zhangs and the Gan Jins. It was when they took a break to get some lychee juice that Bolin spoke up.

“Is it just me, or does it feel like someone is watching us from behind a wall or something?” 

“Are they, really?” Wu asked, eyes widening as he looked left to right and back to the left. Mako sighed, his tone carrying a note of frustration. 

“It helps if we don’t bring attention to it,” the firebender explained. “Just act casual. This kind of thing happens on stake-outs or surveillance all the time.”

Korra casually sipped from her cup of lychee juice, glancing movement from the corner of her eye. She placed her cup down, raising a hand to brush hair away from her eyes, glancing clandestinely at where the movement had come from.

A tall, thin shadow paused, before hurrying away down the lit alley. She took a deep breath, turning back to the table. “Back behind me, just noticed a shadow leaving,” she calmly remarked to Mako. It was the firebender’s turn to blink in surprise, a smirk unknowingly crossing his face.“Someone’s been practicing their stealthiness, I see,” he said, raising an eyebrow. 

Korra smirked. “Let’s just say I’ve had a lot of practice at being sneaky lately,” she replied, blue eyes flashing with humor before she glanced around again. “Still, I don’t think it’s meant to be intimidating or threatening… just someone keeping tabs on us, like security.” 

“One of your spirit-feeling things again?” Mako said, not unkindly, before taking a sip of his juice. Korra shrugged, giving the firebender a wink. “Either that, or one of those ‘gut feelings’ that cops seem to take stock in.” 

Mako stared, then chuckled low. “Ah, something like that,” he said, nodding in acknowledgement. Bolin shook his head, while Wu kept his head down, eyes darting, oblivious to the conversation in front of him. 

The night quickly approached, so they headed back to the hotel. “I think I’m gonna write a letter to Opal,” Bolin said, stretching his arms over his head before yawning as he and Korra walked down to their rooms. “You have a good night, Korra.”

Korra smiled, nodding at the earthbender’s back as he vanished into his room. “You too, Bolin.”

She sighed wearily as her door clicked shut, locking it securely before turning to the room. Washing up and getting ready for bed, Korra cast glances at the backpack, thinking about possibly looking at all of the photos at once.

But she shook her head. Asami had done this as a gift- to not follow a simple thing as looking at only one picture a night could be understandly forgiven, but doing this simple thing for her girlfriend…

Korra rubbed the washcloth over her face, wringing out the spare drops of water onto the wooden floor. It had been a few months since they had returned from their two week vacation in the Spirit World, but both of them agreed it was better to focus on the rebuilding of Republic City than on the likely media frenzy that would happen if their relationship was made public.

Once she was comfortable in the narrow bed, she reached out to her backpack, pulling it into her lap. The envelope containing the letter and the bundle were still where she had left them and were quickly opened. The letter was read again, Korra imagining Asami writing this at her desk, wearing a business outfit and wavy hair tied back as she scanned the words…

No, better yet, she could’ve written this in her workshop…

Korra closed her eyes, imagining Asami in her oil-stained undershirt and mechanic’s coveralls, absently wiping a smudge of oil on her forehead as she wrote the letter under the hangar lights over head, gears and tools strewn out around her, sweat trickling down the side of her face…

She shook her head absently, suddenly aware of how much her face was heating up thinking of Asami. Undoing the bundle, Korra reached for the next photo and held it up to her eyes.

A second later, her free hand went to her mouth to stifle her giggles.

Asami was dressed in what could only be a stylized version of Ginger’s outfit from the ‘Nuktuk’ movers, showing off her long legs and arms as she posed amid a tundra backdrop, one hand held to her head in a ‘woe-be-gone’ expression. On the back of the photo, Asami had written, “Won’t you come and save me, Korra?” along with another lipstick kiss.

‘How in the world did she arrange this?’ Korra thought, reaching over to turn off the oil lamp, still smiling as she fell asleep. 

Needless to say, Korra’s dreams that night were very entertaining.


	3. Responsibilities and Race Cars

The engines roared, the heat from the track blistering hot as rubber tires twisted and turned on the flat-top In a matter of seconds, three speedsters zoomed across the finish line in a blur.

One man waved a checkered flag to signal the end of the race, while another, grizzled mechanic beside him clicked the tab on a stop watch, staring at the watch in disbelief before jumping right into the air, cackling madly. He ran across the track, almost burning his shoes on the hot asphalt as he raced to the grandstands.

“We shaved off at least six minutes from the last test, Miss Sato!” The man waved the watch joyfully over his head, almost climbing up the barrier in his excitement. He grinned, despite knowing his boss was looking intently at the business-suited men gathered in the stands, who appeared somewhat uncomfortable at the owner of the company itself. 

Asami smiled in her usual cheerful manner, green eyes shining as brightly as her lipstick. Wearing her business attire, she was readily prepared to face any arrogant CEO- or onrushing Equalist, as the years and her exploits with the Avatar had attested to. “I believe that would qualify as proof of results for the newest designs of the Satomobile engine. Any other questions, gentlemen?”

One of the businessmen, wearing a monocle and a bowler hat, coughed politely. “Ehem, this is exceedingly impressive, Miss Sato,” he said, the twinkle in his eyes admitting his agreement with the situation. “We were quite glad to save face after that debacle four years ago, and buying stock in your company has helped all of us tremendously!”

There was a murmur of agreement with this, though Asami did note how a few men tried to casually look or turn away. ‘Chiba, Yun and Park are not on-board with this,’ she silent made a note of it in her thoughts. ‘I’ll have to address that later.’

“I certainly hope that your further ventures with Future Industries will help your businesses achieve greater success, gentlemen. I do apologize for cutting this meeting short, but I did have a previous appointment with signing documentation,” Asami smoothly cut in, giving a brief sigh.

The kindly gentleman chucked. “Sato’s one of those rare individuals, fellows. She’d rather be up to her elbows in oil and gears than in a desk full of paperwork!”

“Who can blame her?” One of the others jibed, to polite laughter. Asami smiled and nodded a farewell, walking down the stairs as one of her staff let the men back through the hangar to their waiting transports. 

Once out of sight, Asami’s shoulders relaxed and she sighed wearily, head tilted up towards the ceiling with her eyes closed.

“Spirits, give me strength,” she murmured, opening her eyes and taking a deep breath. She tossed her hair behind a shoulder, fixing her gaze in front of her with the air of a battle-seasoned warrior about to charge into the fight.

She walked back into the hangar, the mechanic from the track keeping pace with her as he spoke.

“We’ll continue testing while you’re at the office, Miss Sato, and update you on the progress we’ve made,” the man smiled brightly. “I never thought that an electrically charged engine would make a come-back, but with your innovative ideas-”

“I can’t take credit for everything, Hwan,” Asami kept her eyes forward, but had a confident smile on her lips. “You and your team helped assemble the ideas that the think tank modified from my sketches. And even then, it was inspired by something my father created,” her voice had a faint sadness to it, but her eyes remained focused. “We all have seeds of ideas, but growing them takes a team effort,” she finished.

Hwan nodded gently, his expression slightly askence at the mention of her father. Despite his involvement with the Equalists in the past, Hiroshi Sato had still been the founder of the company, and died a hero to protect the city- and the daughter- that he loved.

“You’re still the one with most of the ideas, kid,” he said, starting a second later, “Erm, sorry, Miss Sato, I forgot-” 

“Hwan, it’s alright,” she reassured the older man, smiling. Hwan had the good grace to look embarrassed. 

“Hey, there’s not many around who can say they remember the CEO of the company as a seven-year-old wearing grease-stained coveralls and chasing around workers in the storage area on a forklift.”

Asami laughed. “Wow, I’d almost forgotten about that,” she shook her head, glancing around at the work tables strewn with half-assembled engines, welder’s tools showering sparks onto the floor and the sounds of drills, metal and taps all echoing on the concrete-floored hangar. 

The smells of oil, grease, water, steam, sweat and occasionally smoke wafted through the air, almost soaking into the walls. In the distance the radio was playing, Shiro Shinobi saying something about the newest match-up for the probending circuit.

“This places holds so many memories for me,” the engineer’s eyes softened as her mind drifted slightly. Hwan grinned, tapping his clipboard. 

“Well, once your schedule’s done for today, you can come by at your leisure, Miss,” the mechanic teased slightly. “I’m sure the rookies could always use some schooling.” 

Asami smirked. “As long as none of them are left hanging by their coveralls on one of the engine hoists-”

Hwan pointed an accusing finger at her. “That happened once, and you were being very underfoot that day, Miss Sato!”

“I was only trying to see how the exhaust was connected!” Asami said with a defensive innocence.

Hwan rolled his eyes. “You almost ended up stuffed into one of the cars that was being shipped to the Earth Kingdom!”

Asami was about to snap a reply back, but was interrupted by a brief cough.

“Sorry, Miss Sato, your car’s here,” one of the rookies tried to appear like he hadn’t been eavesdropping, but his twitching smile gave him away.

Both Asami and Hwan gave each other rueful glances, then laughed. “Have a good day, Miss Sato,” the mechanic grumped, nodding politely. Asami nodded in reply. “You too, Hwan.”

Asami accepted the keys from the younger rookie, stepping into the car and revving the engine slightly before swiftly rolling away. Hwan caught the younger man glancing back behind his shoulder at the vanishing car, and gave him a clap behind his head.

“C’mon, Garjan, we’ve got work to get back to,” Hwan grinned tightly as they walked back to one of the work tables. 

*

Two hours later, Asami Sato was doing what she had become accustomed to- signing paperwork and making important correspondences over the phone.

“Yes, I’m aware that Zaofu has a corner on the market for rough-terrain vehicles, but with Ba Sing Se becoming more open to the rest of the empire, they’ll want smoother roads and more accessable entrance-ways in the future,” she said, trying to fight her oncoming headache at dealing with a rather difficult sales representative. 

“Cabbage Corp does have a stake, but our company does not only focus on quantity with our machines but quality,” she insisted. Her eyebrows narrowed as she scowled at the paperwork infront of her, listening for a few minutes. “They may be price-reduced, but we don’t accept shoddy workmanship in our products-”

Outside of her office, a secretary was typing up a report of that year’s earnings when she looked up from her typewriter, startled from the audible yell from Asami’s office.

“Excuse me?! How dare you! This conversation and any business we had is over, don’t you EVER contact my office again!” The phone was slammed down into the cradle. The secretary gathered her paperwork and took a breath, standing up and walking over to the door, knocking three times. 

“Miss Sato? Is everything alright?” the secretary asked. 

“… Come in, Mikka,” she heard, the reply muffled. 

Stepping in the room, the secretary understood why the CEO of Future Industries sounded so distraught. Asami’s face was hidden behind her hands, her posture one of pent-up frustration.

“I heard what happened, I take it the dealership owner didn’t agree to your terms in shipping Satomobiles to Ba Sing Se,” she ventured. 

Asami lifted her head, and the secretary nearly took a step back. She wasn’t upset or angry, the woman had an arctic coldness in her jade eyes.

“That arrogant man actually said, “Why should we take the word of a spoiled daughter of a traitor and prejudiced madman?” Her hands clenched into fists, even as she managed a deep, settling breath. “Contact our district manager, let him know that we’re cutting off all further business with Chiba’s dealership in Ba Sing Se.”

Mikka made a note of this in a small notepad as Asami spoke. “Yes, Miss. I do have some good news,” she said, setting a paper on Asami’s desk. “This just came in- an order for six hundred Satomobiles for the Fire Nation capital.”

Asami scanned the letter carefully, a small smile appearing on her lips. “This seems very reasonable. Were there any other orders?”

“Seven orders of air-ships for sight-seeing and luxury cruises, one order for five drill-fitted mecha tanks for a mining company, and at least ten more Satomobles specifically for the police,” Mikka smiled. “Chief Lin specifically asked for you to make sure they were ‘top-grade’, as she so eloquently puts it.”

Despite her morning, Asami smiled at the secretary. Standing up behind her desk, she moved away from the chair. “I suppose that taking an early break wouldn’t be too bad,” she mused, briefly. “Dealing with that… well, I think a distraction could help me out.”

Mikka blinked. “Actually, Miss Sato, it’s an hour past your break. And I’ve called ahead to reserve time at the training room for you.”

Asami looked up at Mikka, visibly surprised. “That was… very considerate of you, Mikka, thank you,” the CEO smiled in thanks.

The secretary smiled. “I also went ahead and ordered lunch. One of those bento boxes to be delivered after your workout-”

“Will you spar with me today, Mikka?” Asami stepped up to the woman. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but I could use the outlet.” 

Mikka blinked again, but nodded. “Of course, Miss Sato,” she quietly spoke.

Asami’s green eyes took on a determined gleam.

*

The ‘training room’ was one of the private sparring rooms located in the few servicable gyms in Republic City. The owner of the gym kept noticing how a certain wealthy industrialist kept booking time for the same room and one day Asami had arrived with a placard over the door reading ‘Sato’.

“I’m indebted to you and the others who saved this city from being rubble many times over,” the gym owner explained firmly. “You can go ahead and keep booking appointments, but this’ll be the Sato room from now on.” 

The room was brightly lit, entering from the broad window facing out into the city. One could see the buildings, still covered with a numerous growth of spirit vines and the distant light beam disappearing high into the sky.

The two figures, clad in sparring clothing, seemed frozen, caught in a moment. Both were poised in fighting stances, one with a graceful and relaxed ease to her form, the other settled as a statue about to come to life and throw punches.

In the moment of a blink, the calm vanished as the statue moved, swinging forward with a precision-aimed punch that connected with thin air-

Hands gripped the arm that cut through the air, twisting upward and throwing a body through the air, landing on her feet only to be met with a flurry of palm-heel strikes, forearms and open hands blocking with swiftness, but not swift enough.

Mikka grunted as a palm caught her right in the abdomen, pushing her back, standing a foot away from the edge of the ring. She side-stepped, ducking to avoid the other hand aiming at her shouder, going into a horse-stance to wrap an arm around Asami’s waist, yanking her off balance and throwing the captured fighter towards the center of the ring. Asami slid backwards,moving a foot quickly behind her to keep from landing on her ass, using the moment to aim another strike at an unprotected bicep.

The secretary winced from the strike, knowing that would leave a bruise, but using her other arm to hook under Asami’s knee, unsettling the taller woman to land on her back against the padded floor.

Asami’s eyes closed and her teeth gritted at the landing, but she twisted out of Mikka’s arms, crouching in front of the woman. Like a flash, Asami’s hands shot out in a familiar, fluid rising motion, fingers making calculated strikes on the woman’s unguarded arm.

The secretary’s eyes flickered to her arm, now laying limply against her torso, numbed from the edges of the fingers to the top of her shoulder. She met Asami’s intense glare, returning it with a taut smile. “You’ve been practicing.” 

The engineer returned the smile with one of her own. “I always practice to improve my skills.” 

Mikka’s eyes lit up with a devious idea of what to say next. 

“Is that what you tell your girlfriend?” 

Asami’s mouth opened in surprise at the secretary’s daring, and Mikka quickly took advantage of the moment of stillness, using her now limp arm to pull across Asami’s neck in a stranglehold. Jade eyes widened as she moved her hands to the forearm pulled across her throat, easing the grip slightly. 

They grappled, momentarily still in half-crouches as Asami twisted around and pushed forward, using the momentum to catch Mikka off balance. The two women fell, with the secretary finding herself pinned beneath her employer. 

The quiet was gone as Mikka reached out and quickly tapped the mat, three times. With an exhaled sigh, Asami straightened up to her knees, sitting back as Mikka lay still, trying to catch her breath. 

Asami pushed some wavy black strands of hair that had escaped from their hair tie, her racing pulse starting to calm with each deep breath as she smiled. 

“I think I needed that, Mikka. Thank you.” 

Mikka’s eyes flickered up to her employer, as she swiftly stood and bowed. Asami gracefully stood, returning the gesture respectfully. 

“I apologize for my words, it was rather inappropriate of me to mention-” Mikka began, before Asami’s smile broaded and she shook her head. 

“You only said what any opportunistic fighter would say to get the advantage over me,” the CEO laughed softly, “So it isn’t entirely unexpected. I have to be ready for whatever gets thrown at me.” 

Her smile became a slightly devious smirk. “You should sit in when I spar with Korra. I don’t consider it a fair match unless I can make her blush at least three times.” 

Mikka couldn’t help it. She laughed loudly, which subsided into giggles that she tried hiding in her hands. The secretary’s eyes were open and friendly as she met Asami’s smile. 

“Spirits, you two are adorable,” Mikka grinned. “I’d love to hear more about the Avatar when we have lunch.” 

*

Lunch was spent walking around Avatar Korra Park, finding a place to sit and eat their bento box lunches. Asami smiled at the arrangement of fire-flaked seasoned shrimp, pillowed on a bed of rice, and steamed vegetables as she dug into her lunch with the chopsticks. 

Mikka brought the square bowl to her lips, drinking in a mouthful of the five-flavor soup, smacking her lips contentedly. Her eyes lip up as she spied something in the soup and took another drink, this time swallowing then crunching contentedly on what she had found. 

“Sorry,” she swallowed, embarrassed. “Found a sea prune in the soup that wasn’t supposed to be there.” 

Asami smiled. “Ah, Korra tried to get me to have sea prune stew in the South. It’s definitely an… acquired taste,” she admitted, finding a slice of water chestnut to enjoy, 

“My mom made it for my dad’s family once,” Mikka’s smile broadened. “They each took a bite and then it sounded like an attack hit the household!” She laughed, then slowly her smile faded to a nostalgic sigh. 

“You miss them.” 

Mikka nodded, glad to have the statement as that, and not as a question. 

A hand rested on her shoulder, and Mikka looked up into sympathetic jade eyes. Smiles appeared briefly, Asami’s comforting, Mikka’s a little sheepish. 

“Alright,” Asami’s eyes carried that devious gleam again. “What could I tell you about Korra…” her voice drew off, but she turned back quickly. 

“First off, she’s not a morning person.” Asami looked down at the grass beneath the bench, smiling in memory. “When Korra wakes up, she tries to burrow against whatever is warmest. I think since she and Naga slept in the same bed since Naga was a pup, it’s instinct to her now. By the time I’m ready to go in the morning, she’s walking around with her eyes shut and reaching for a cup of strong tea to help her wake up.” 

“And her hair seems to be in different directions at the same time because of the pillow- I swear, this is true,” she affirmed. “One time, I reached up to smooth it out, and it shocked me.” 

Mikka stared, then grinned as Asami continued. 

“I think she was as surprised as I was, because next thing I know she’s saying, “I’m so sorry, I think my hair just lightning-bended at you! Are you okay?” in this frantic tone,” Asami laughed as she told the story. “It was the first time I’ve seen her that awake in the morning!” 

Mikka found herself laughing, amused by the story and the image of the powerful Avatar in a moment of panic. 

“So, how are things going with you?” Asami asked carefully. “The last time we talked, you said you’d found someone.” 

Mikka blushed, glancing down. “Well… there is someone at the Blue Spirit that I’ve met a few times,” the secretary admitted. Asami’s eyebrows rose in surprise. 

“The Blue Spirit, that’s the… single’s dining club, isn’t it?” the engineer surmised. Mikka nodded, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. 

“Her name’s Ji-Yeon,” the secretary’s voice became softer. “And she has the warmest brown eyes I’ve ever seen…” 

The two women spent thirty minutes talking, laughing and finishing their lunches. On the outskirts of the park, Asami looked back at the statue of the Avatar, standing tall and bold, as if it would come alive to protect the citizens of Republic City in the face of any danger. 

Mikka waited until Asami had turned away, the two women walking side by side back to the office. 

*

Before the day ended, Asami received a phone call from Chiba himself, frantically apologizing for the ‘unforgivable rudeness’ towards her from one of his own employees, with assurances that the man would be fired immediately and that he would generously provide more options for Future Industries. 

“I had no idea of his prejudice, Miss Sato,” Chiba sounded authentically dismayed as he explained. “For him to do this kind of rude, unpresented stunt is absolutely not acceptable. If there is something else I can offer you-”

“I would like you to correspond with the new manager of your dealership in Ba Sing Se, as well as with any construction firms that are operating in the area, specifically roads,” Asami affirmed. 

“Construction? Roads? I… I will, yes, Miss Sato,” Chiba affirmed. 

“If we can improve the infrastruction and roadways in Ba Sing Se for Satomobiles, as well as the dependability of airships and sand-sailers, our companies can both be at the forefront of improving accessability and travel,” she explained patiently. “I tried to explain this to your manager, but he refused to listen.” 

Chiba paused before speaking again. “Miss Sato, I honestly had my mis-givings before I met you,” he spoke, quietly yet in a more sincere tone. “But you have proven to be a very dedicated and shrewd business partner. Are there others who are interested in this venture?” 

Asami smiled into the phone. “Yun and Park were both contacted, as they have interests in metal alloy production and manufacturing, respectively. I was going to contact you after talking with your representative-”

“Say no more, Miss Sato,” Chiba declared. “Send the papers over to my office first thing in the morning.”

After exchanging farewells and hanging up the phone, Asami had to keep from cheering out loud. She did, however, thrust both arms into the air, as if she had won a pro-bending match by herself. 

*

That evening, Asami watched the sunset through the apartment window, using an electric light to read an engineering magazine, featuring an article about the development of using windmills to generate power, based off of discoveries made in Avatar Aang’s time. 

‘That would be something to consider research into,” Asami made a note in the magazine, laying it aside on her nightstand. She sighed, shifting beneath the covers as she glanced to the empty side of her bed. 

Her hand reached beneath Korra’s pillow, layered between the coolness of the cushion and the soft bedspread beneath. Fingers came into contact with something, and she pulled her hand back-

Asami blinked, then smiled at the five small pictures on the strip of celluoid, a souvenir of visiting the Fire Nation with Korra. The first picture was a silly one, with Korra’s eyes crossed and Asami sticking her tongue out. 

The second one had Korra holding Asami close and staring deeply into her eyes, as if they were a couple on the cover of a romantic mover-poster. 

The third had both of them smiling brightly at the camera, Asami’s smile warm, and Korra’s crooked grin tinged with mischievious intent. 

The fourth picture bore Korra’s intention, as she kissed Asami with a sudden passion and fierceness that the woman could only return in equal measure. 

Asami laughed, as she always did, at the fifth picture. This one show Asami’s flailing hands and a cut-off half image of Korra’s wide-eyed panic as they leaned over too far and fell back, almost out of the booth. 

They had left quickly, with Korra quickly taking the pictures from the dispenser and Asami pulled along by her hand, both of them eventually laughing over the photos and the shocked expressions of the unaware patrons. It was one of the fondest memories she had being with the Avatar. 

Idly, she flipped it over and paused, finding words written on the side. It read,

“Year 174, Korra and Asami on Ember Island- getting into so much trouble!”

And beneath that, a simple sentence,

“You are my heart, Asami.” - Korra

Her smile became tender as she quickly raised a hand to her eyes, wiping at the damp tears gathering unannounced. Replacing the photo sheet, she leaned over to turn off the light, relaxing against the cool sheets and staring at the now darkened, star-lit sky. 

She thought of Korra’s reactions to the photos she packed with her clothes, and smiled against her pillow, closing her eyes to fall into a restful sleep.


	4. Conflicts

Korra wearily stepped into her room, still covered with a layer of damp, slopped mud over her clothing and skin. With a few swift movements of her hands, she waterbent the fresh water in the washing bowl over her body- her clothes and skin felt better, but the scent of the swampy muck lingered.

‘Smells almost as bad as being flung around into the mud by Toph again,’ she thought with a grimace. With a frustrated sigh, she thought back to how the past two days had been…

They had woken up the third day and split into two groups, with Korra and Bolin visiting the Zhangs, and Mako and Wu visiting the Gan Jins.

“So this is our homestead,” The elder Zhang waved a hand at the several wooden shacks constructed. Both families lived outside of town, each space vast enough to cover part of the village itself. The ground was very muddy and trampled, with wagon wheels having made grooves into the dry dirt that caused the path to be unsteady to walk upon.

The homes of the Zhang were very sturdy, designed to be supported by nearby tall trees, incorporating the tree into the frame instead of demolishing it. Korra admitted to the old man that it was amazing to see. “I think it’s an interesting way to build a home- using your environment to create a house instead of building with it.”

The elder Zhang grinned. “Our familiy hasn’t been the most proper or elegant, but we’ve learned how to adapt to the land after a few generations.”

A group of youngsters ran up to the two visitors, some wide-eyed and giggling, others acting like their elders with crossed arms and skeptical looks.

“Wow, I can’t believe the Avatar and a famous mover star are visiting us!” one of the girls breathed in awe. “It’s nice to meet you!”

Korra and Bolin exchanged a brief grin. Two of them ran up to Bolin, peppering him with questions about movers and the city and his ‘airbender girlfriend’. As he laughed, a little girl shyly went up to Korra.

“It’s nice to meet you, Avatar Korra,” the girl said in a quiet voice,. 

Korra kneeling down the look the girl in the eye. “It’s nice to be welcome in your home,” she said to the girl. “What do you do for fun around here?”

“Playing earth football, playing Redemption, hide-and-seek, tag, messing with the Gan Jin kids, mud-wrestling,” one of the boys grinned. He was promptly hit in the back of the head by a muscular young woman standing behind him. 

She shrugged with a rueful grin towards Korra. “We honestly try not to fight so much with them,” the woman explained. “Mostly we just stick to ourselves.”

Korra remembered the woman from the meeting yesterday between the two families. “What’s your name?” She stood up from the ground, offering her hand in a friendly handshake.

It was clasped warmly, not gripped tightly like some of the men had attempted to do. “My name’s Ela,” she explained, showing an appreciative grin. “Wow, and they weren’t kidding when they said the new Avatar was strong!” Her eyes went to Korra’s bicep, then back at her own. “But I have to wonder just how strong…”

Korra smiled back, knowing a challenge when she heard one. “You have an arm-wrestling table nearby?”

Within minutes, Bolin was taking bets and wagers from the crowd of onlooking adults and excited kids, as Korra and Ela strained at the table, hands locked as the muscles in their arms rippled.

“Don’t… go… easy… on me,” Ela gritted out, managing to move Korra’s wrist a few more inches down. 

“Trust… me… I’m not,” Korra laughed, showing her teeth as sweat ran down her face. The others watched as the back of her hand moved closer and closer to the table’s surface…

Then, Korra pushed back. It took three tries, but Ela found the back of her hand pressed firmly to the table, as cheers and cries rang out. 

Ela rubbed her hand, looking up at Korra. “So… did I even have a chance?” She asked, giving a rueful smile.

Korra grinned. “Trust me, I was half-tempted to use the Avatar state to win it, but I knew that would be cheating. You’re really strong, Ela!”

Ela smiled at the compliment. “Thanks… a lot of us are, from working in the mine and gathering all those minerals.” She glanced over her shoulder, Korra following her gaze to a group of carts filled with fist-sized dully gleaming rocks.

“The village likes to trade with us, and some metalbenders as far as Zaofu have collected rocks from here for comparison,” the woman said with modest pride. Her expression became downcast. “We don’t trade with the Gan Jins, except during the holidays, and even then those are difficult days.”

Her eyes went up again. “But I know the Gan Jins aren’t bad, just different. We’re more alike than we know. I wish the elders knew this-”

Korra wanted to ask more, but a group of adults walked up to the two women. “Excuse us, Avatar Korra, but we’ve gathered the rest of the elders together in the meeting hall. You can make your appeal in there.”

Korra stood up, giving a short nod before turning back to Ela and giving a friendly smile. “I’ll see what I can do to get the two families in some kind of truce.” She stepped away to call for Bolin, unaware of the other woman’s saddened eyes.

*

In the Gan Jin homestead, Mako and Wu were receiving a more restrained, but just as eager welcome.

“We heard about what happened in Republic City, once the news was received that Kuvira’s army had been stopped,” the elder Gan Jin said, sitting cross-legged in front of a table laid out with steaming tea cups and afternoon cakes. “Mako, you single-handedly ripped the giant machine in half?” 

The former pro-bender and detective looked up from his sitting position, eyes wide as his expression became one of slight embarrassment. “Uh… actually, it was just using lighting on a mass of spirit vines that caused Kuvira’s mecha suit to split in half. I wouldn’t have done it if my brother hadn’t helped me think of the idea.”

One of the young men leaned in towards Mako. “Are you still able to firebend? Your left hand-” He trailed off at a glare by the elderly woman.

Mako’s gaze went reflexively to his left hand, which bore permanent scars from the nerve damage he had suffered. But he looked up at the man and nodded. “It’s alright. I can still firebend, but I haven’t summoned lightning yet. The doctors who healed me said I might not be able to again, or…”

The firebender felt a light bump on his arm and stopped talking- Wu had lightly tapped the other man’s bicep with his fist.

“Mako’s being his usual modest self,” Wu said. “From what I and the rest of the refugees witnessed, that machine would’ve kept leveling the entire city until it was rubble!”

The rest of the Gan Jins leaned in, excitedly as Wu continued in a dramatic fashion. “He, Korra, Bolin, the Beifong family, the airbenders, Asami and her father, all of them went into that fight with everything they had!” His hands moved as he spoke, emphasising his words. “Even as I and the others evacuated, we could feel and hear the explosions of the cannon, the rumbling of rock and crashing of water, and the machine’s heavy footsteps coming down Main Street!”

Some of the Gan Jins looked shocked, only have known what was reported on the few radio transmissions sent through the airwaves. A few of the younger teenaged girls giggled behind their hands at Wu’s antics. The one who had pointed out Mako’s left hand had a skeptical look on his face, as if doubt were creeping into his mind.

Wu continued his dramatic re-telling of the battle, then he put on a somber expression, touching his chest. “I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for their courage and fortitude.”

The former prince suddenly grinned. “And I wouldn’t be here now, either.” He looked back to the elder Gan Jin. “I know it is impolite to discuss business unless at the discretion of a host, but I feel it is necessary. I would like to resolve any greivances the Gan Jins have because this village- this state- deserves fair diplomacy and representation in the new government.”

Wu’s storytelling had softened the crowd slightly. But with this bold yet quiet statement, he had their full attention.

The elderly woman gave Wu a measured stare that Wu returned, as if they were silently measuring up one another. Then a wry smile appeared on her face. “Your schooling and your honesty does you credit, Wu,” the woman admitted. “I and the other elders will tell you of what the Gan Jin hope to accomplish, and you may tell us of how you plan to… reconcile us to our neighbors.”

Mako noted the mutterings and exchanged glances between others in the room, but most of them were attentive. He hid a smile, inwardly impressed by the former prince’s cleverness yet again.

*

That evening, the four met up in the hotel dining hall, discussing the day’s events.

“Mako, you should’ve seen it!” Bolin grinned, waving his arms around. “I mean, Korra gets up and starts talking, and all of these Zhang elders have faces on them like stone, and eventually they start smiling and nodding, at the end of it, they applaud! Well, they kinda started yelling like they were at a pro-bending match, but it was still applause!”

The earthbender leaned back in his chair. “She’s definitely improved with her public speaking, I mean I can manage myself in a crowd, but Korra- Wow, I was impressed!”

Mako nodded. “The same thing happened with Wu, actually. The Gan Jins were a little more restrained, but I could tell they were going along with what he was saying.”

Korra and Wu returned to the table, carrying two of a specialty ice-bowl drink made in the area.

“See, Korra? We leave for five minutes and they’re still talking about us,” Wu mock-sighed, handing a bowl to Mako.

Korra smiled. “If we’re giving credit where it’s due, then I still need to thank you for your help today, Bolin. Maybe I wowed them with my speech and arm-wrestling, but for you to help find and repair a fracture in one of the support beams of their mine was amazing!”

Bolin straightened the collar of his shirt with the slightest touch of ‘modest pride’. “Well, I do try.”

Wu blinked. “You went into the mine? That’s odd, must’ve been around the same time Mako went into their kiln-”

“Wait, what?” It was Bolin and Korra’s turn to stare at Mako, who gave a shrug. 

“They’d been having some problems directing the flames and heat through it, so I offered my help,” he explained. “Still, we wouldn’t have made it that far if Wu hadn’t persisted with politics.” The firebender glanced up at the ceiling reflectively. “We’d probably still be having tea with with them right now.” 

The group laughed. “So far, so good,” Korra said brightly. “If we find some more common ground between the two families, they might agree to a truce earlier than expected.”

At this, Wu gave Korra a crafty look, completely with a single raised eyebrow and grin. “Ah, and you’d get to go home earlier to a ‘warm welcome’, am I right?”

Korra’s smile faded, even as blush rose to her cheeks.

Mako elbowed Wu hard in the ribs, scowling. “Do you have to ruin everything with your remarks?”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Korra suddenly waved her hand. “Actually, he’s right. If we broker a truce early and if Asami and I both have free schedules…” Her expression softened. “We’ve been so focused on rebuilding the city and diplomacy that we haven’t had a lot of time for ourselves.”

Her eyes lifted up as her grin became slightly playful, her blue eyes filled with a familiar light that echoed back to the spirited teenager she’d been years before. “But Asami and I make our time together memorable, you know?”

It was Mako’s turn to blush, and he didn’t even realize that he was until Wu noticed and began snickering. Bolin cut into the moment with his own planned homecoming when Opal returned from her latest patrol with the Air Nomads, and good-natured teasing prevailed through the rest of the evening.

When Korra went to her room, she had glanced down at her backpack, but decided to wait until tomorrow to look at them. She had quickly fallen asleep, unknowing what the new day would bring.

*

Before the sun began to rise, Korra awoke to the sounds of screams and the smell of smoke lingering the air. She quickly pulled her clothing and boots on, running outside. The townspeople were already pointing at the growing cloud in the sky.

“It’s from the Gan Jin’s kiln!” 

“Something must’ve happened!” 

Korra scanned the crowd, finding Mako, Bolin and Wu near the path leading to the Gan Jin homestead. “Mako and I will go see if we can dampen down the blaze up there,” Korra looked to Bolin and Wu. “You should go to the Zhang camp-”

The ground shook wildly, another loud explosion rocking them. Wu fell, clutching at a nearby table, the others barely keeping their footing.

“That was from the Zhangs, I think it was the mine!” Bolin exclaimed, before grabbing Wu by the back of his shirt and pulling him to his feet. “C’mon!”

“Wait! Why are you taking me? I don’t have bending!” Wu managed as he ran beside Bolin, Korra and Mako running down the path to the Gan Jins. 

Bolin gave the former prince a brief grin. “I can handle the earthbending. But the Zhangs have some help that I know you can handle.”

At reaching the Zhang camp, Wu immediately understood Bolin’s intention.

*

When Mako and Korra reached the Gan Jins, there were several of them tending to the wounded, a few staring blankly at the flaming kiln, which was as large as one of their tents. The fire had spread to some nearby tents, with some of the less timid souls trying to pour sand over or beat out the flames.

“See if you can get the flames corraled in the kiln!” Korra yelled over the crackling fire. “There’s got to be some water around here-”

“Avatar!” The elderly Gan Jin woman limped up to them, supported by the tall young man, their white clothing torn and stained with soot.

“There’s a river a few miles to the east, but it’s too far away!” The young man said, desperation coloring his voice. 

Stepping away from the group, Korra made a few wide sweeps of her arms in a circle, the wind whistling as it picked up and spun around her form. The Gan Jins looked on in amazement at her eyes glowed with a white-hot light, her feet rising from the ground as the summoned cyclone carried her towards the river, faster than any runner. 

Mako ran towards the kiln fire, using careful, intricate moments in his attempt to contain the flames- there were some spots, mostly on the remains of tents and dry trees that blazed on, but the majority of the inferno was in the kiln itself, which looked as if it had been caved in from the top. 

The heat was intense, but he gritted his teeth, doing what he could to buy the rest of the Gan Jins- and Korra- more time. 

*

Bolin’s arms were strained as he took more cautious steps into the ruined mine shaft, knowing he was supporting most of the roof as he made his way inside. The frantic words of those outside echoed in his ears, encouraging him to move as quickly as he could. 

“Ela and some of the children were inside the mine! Please, you have to save them!” 

The earthbender stepped along carefully, arriving at a wall where the rocks had piled up in a cave-in. He could hear echoes, mostly rocks falling to the ground and clacking against other rocks. But he called out. 

“Ela? Are the kids there? Is everyone alright?”

He strained his ears, but thankfully Ela’s voice was heard through the wall. 

“Bolin! Yes, we’re all here! Me and Sheil, we’re holding up the rocks. But it’s getting really stuffy in here-”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out!” Bolin said back cautiously, knowing not to raise his voice too loudly. “Just sit tight!” 

He heard a familiar rumble, and the padding of large paws on the ground. As Bolin listened, he could hear someone’s thin, warbling voice-

“- and it’s dark, but we’ve got people to save! And once we’re done, they’ll think we’re so brave! No cave-in’s gonna stop our way, because we’re gonna save the day!” 

The rumbling stopped and he could hear Wu’s voice through the wall. “Hey kids, me and the badgermoles are gonna get you out of here! One at a time, just step right out-”

Another warning rumble shook, and Bolin could hear the screams of fear through the wall. Taking a risk, he let some of the roof cave in behind him, and pushed aside the rock wall, making his way into the small chamber. 

Ela and a smaller boy had their arms over their heads, straining to keep the low ceiling from coming down on them. Wu was standing beside the emerald-eyed badgermole, one arm around the massive neck, the rest of the children huddled beneath the flat snout. The tunnel stretched towards the light of day, but that rumble was coming from the cave-in further down the mine shaft-

Bolin quickly stood in Ela and the boy’s place. “Hurry, get to the rest of the kids and go!” He yelled. 

Ela looked up at him in fear. “But we’re not going to leave you!”

“I’ll be fine,” he grinned. “I’ll be right behind you, just follow Wu! Keep the tunnels up!”

The two made their way to the group, the badgermole’s ears perking as Wu crooned a song gently. It turned around, the kids and Ela following behind as Bolin supported the wall. Once they were in the tunnel, he moved out of the small cavern, letting the ceiling now fall in on the empty space. 

Within a few minutes, they stepped out into the bright sunlight. The Zhangs gave a ragged cheer, several of them running up to embrace their lost children. When everyone was out, Bolin let his arms drop and the escape tunnel collapse, hunched over with sudden fatigue. 

“I think… I got… my exercise for the week,” he panted. One of the Zhangs gave him a bowl of water, which he used to drink and then wash the dust from his face. 

“What happened?” He asked, looking around at the Zhangs. The adults exchanged grim looks with each other. 

*

At the Gan Jin’s home, a similar conversation was taking place. 

Korra had returned as Mako managed to keep the flames in the kiln under control, several streams of water flying through the air like ribbons. With a mighty effort, she directed the river water at the flames, steam rising in cloud as the two elements met. With a few more passes, every fire in the camp was soon vanished, revealing the destruction left behind. 

Several tents were burned, a few people injured or burned, the kiln looked as if it had collapsed, with several piles of clay and ruined works now doused with water. 

“We had just started the fire so the kiln could heat up, and there was an explosion- as if someone had added oil or something that caused more flames,” the tall young man explained. “Grandmother was knocked back, and several were hit by the fire-”

“I think I know why,” Mako said, kicking something out of the wreckage. “This coal you used to stoke the flames, it’s been tampered with.” 

Pressing on it, a thick oily fluid ran out onto the ground. “That’s a flame accelerant, it’s used in the city for furnaces during the winters. Someone wanted this to happen!” 

“The Zhangs! They must’ve done it!” A man yelled angrily, and the cry was quickly taken up. Korra shook her head. 

“We can’t just blindly accuse anyone without proof!” She insisted. “Besides, something happened at their homes too!”

The elderly woman looked towards the direction of the Zhangs, but hardly anyone else did- except for the young man, who appeared to be trying to hide a look of fear…

“Well, who else could it be?” the argumentative man stubbornly insisted. “And they could’ve faked it just to have an alibi!” 

More cries rang out, even as some of the younger men began gathering wooden staves and metal tools, hefting them with angry intent. 

“They’re coming up the hill!” A yell rang out, as everyone turned. 

A group of the Zhangs were marching intently up the hill towards the Gan Jins, with Bolin and Wu trying to unsuccessfully waylay the apporaching mob. The two families bunched together. 

The Zhang elder pointed angrily at the elder Gan Jin. “One of your family sabotaged our mine! You nearly killed children!” 

This was met by outraged cries as the elderly Gan Jin woman raised her head proudly. “We would never to that, even to your family! And one of your family must’ve rigged our kiln to explode! Without our goods, we won’t be able to trade to the markets this season!”

“Like our mining isn’t important?!” The elderly Zhang roared. Korra stepped between the two families, even as they traded insults. Bolin and Mako stepped to her side, Wu cautiously watching with a slightly frantic look at his place beside the badgermole. 

“Everyone needs to calm down!” She insisted. “We can find out who did this, but fighting about it won’t solve anything-” 

Twin globs of mud suddenly flew from both sides, one of them hitting the elder Gan Jin directly in the face, the other slopping over the elder Zhang’s head. There were seconds of hesitation, as both elders stood, blinking in shock at the other. 

“Get them!” Someone shouted. 

The two families charged, crashing in the middle, and the mud-strewn homestead became a battlefield. 

*

Much later in the evening, Korra, Mako, Bolin and Wu staggered back to the hotel, covered in mud. 

“You know, that was less of a ‘life or death fight’ and more of a ‘family feud mud-slinging fight’, Bolin commented, his shoes squelching from the mud inside them. “Almost reminds me of the mud-fights with our cousins, only less strangling.” 

Mako wringed his jacket out, the fabric still saturated with muck as he grimaced. “Either way, it only relieved the tension between the two families for a while. If someone gets hurt, it could lead to more violence.” 

“I think I have mud in my shorts!” Wu whined, adjusting the waistband of his pants, staggering on the path and nearly falling against a tree. 

Korra slogged along, shaking her head as she attempted to rub a stubborn bit of water from her ear. “I didn’t need to hear that,” she muttered tiredly. 

They were met in the town square by the governor, who gave them a sympathetic look. “I take it things didn’t go so well,” Ki said sadly, shaking her head. 

“We’ll just pick up tomorrow at the beginning,” Korra said. “For now, I think cleaning up and getting some sleep is for the best.”

They stepped into the hotel, each one moving wearily to their rooms. 

Korra sighed and closed her eyes, now cleaned from the muck, but the smell still lingered in the room. She considered going to the hot springs, as Wu’s description had sounded appealing… But first, she had something she needed to do.

With a glance at the bag, she reached down, about to open it-

The knot had been loosely re-tied. A spark went off in Korra’s mind, as she remembered tying the drawstrings securely that morning. Her stomach dropped.

‘No, they didn’t…’ 

She quickly pulled the bag open, emptying out the contents onto the bed. Spare clothing, her traveling kit, some odds and ends… but Asami’s letter and the photos were gone.


	5. Solutions

The padding of footsteps clapped softly as Korra away from the building. She moved to the window, looking down at the dimly lit alley to see the shadow of a figure, swiftly running from the hotel.

Quickly she slid the frame open, crouching on the sill and making a prediction where the thief would be turning.

Korra leapt into the open air, the wind whistling softly as the miniature cyclone cushioned her fall, hitting the ground in a run as she sped towards the fleeing figure, who was now cutting through the air with a familiar grace.

Ducking into an alley, the shadowed form hunched down behind some crates, waiting as footsteps were heard, first closely, then swiftly moving away. The shadowy figure smiled. Now all he had to do was leave the Avatar’s envelope in the governor’s office, and-

A hand gripped the back of his shirt, flinging him against the wall. The would-be thief choked, wide-eyed with fear as he stared down at the severe expression on his captor’s face. The empty space beneath his feet as he kicked feebly hammered the fact home in his mind. She was holding him up inches from the ground with only one hand!

“You should know better than to take things that don’t belong to you,” she lectured calmly, but her eyes gave off a brief flash of white-hot light that caused the man to gasp with fear.

“Please, don’t hurt me,” he begged.

“What were you doing in my room?” Korra scowled. “And where is my letter?”

“It’s right here, take it!” He yelped, dropping the envelope to the ground, where it landed with a brief ‘thud’.“I was only going to take it to Ki, then she’d give it back once you and the others agreed to leave the village!”

Korra’s eyes widened, the returning vivid blue almost as bright as the approaching evening sky. “I recognize you… you’re the Gan Jin elder’s grandson,” she said, her scowl lessening slightly. “What’s your name? Why did you do this?”

“My name is Jing,” he managed. “I just… I took the letters because-”

“Because we were leaving and wanted to avoid being followed,” Another voice supplanted.

Korra turned her head, watching as Ela stepped out of the shadows, her hands up in a defeated gesture. Wordlessly, Jing found himself lowered to the ground. Gasping for breath, he quickly moved to Ela’s side, his expression a mixture of fear and nervousness as his fists clenched, waiting for an attack.

Korra looked from one to the other, arms crossing over her chest as she smirked knowingly at the pair. “Just like Oma and Shu, huh?” Ela and Jing exchanged a look, the earthbender blushing slightly as the young man swallowed. “I- we- That is, um…” Jing stammered, even as Ela took his hand.

Their gazes met again, even as they exchanged slightly embarrassed smiles. “We met as kids during one of the trading holidays,” Ela explained. “He wasn’t as rough as the other boys and liked making me laugh.”

Jing’s smile warmed, his voice tender as he spoke. “And she was amazingly intricate with her earthbending. She could craft some of the best sand castles I’d ever seen-”

Korra bent down to pick up the envelope, noting that the letter was inside and the bundle of pictures was still tied securely.

Glancing up, Ela and Jing were still lost in their own memories. She coughed, immediately regaining the couple’s attention. “So why the sabotage of the mine and the kiln?” Korra asked, noting the shocked looks that appeared on the pair.

“We didn’t do that!” Ela insisted. Jing shook his head, eyes wide in fearful panic. “As much as we’d like to be together, we’d never hurt our families like that!”

“Well, someone wants both of your families out of town…” Korra mused. “So why bring my letter to the governor?”

The couple exchanged looks. “We thought if Ki had something to use as a bribe or leverage over the Avatar, then she’d just let us leave while dealing with you and our families-”

Korra’s eyebrows went up. Despite the spike of resentment at having her correspondence stolen and possibly used as blackmail, the involvement of the governor was an unforeseen twist. “Wait, back up a second. What does Ki have to do with this?”

“Ki acts nice and polite, at least to outsiders. But when the guests are gone, she tends to run the village with more than a bit of… persuasive force.”

“She acts like she’s overworked, but that’s because she’s everywhere, all the time!” Ela's eyes took on a fearful gaze. “There was a dispute from our families between using the paths at different times, but she met with the elders from both families on the same day- it was the fastest anyone has ever negotiated with us before!” Jing shook his head. “I didn’t want to believe it, but I’ve seen her appear run down in the evening, and in the mornings she looked as fresh as a daisy, even if it was only mere hours. Other incidents happened before, and she would always find a way to be in the village or nearby when someone needed her right then…”

Korra scowled in thought. “That does sound pretty suspicious. Do you know how she would profit if the two families were to feud against each other?”

The couple exchanged glances. “Ki did say something about land ownership once... but it was something brought up only when Kuvira's troops came through here, and afterward there wasn't anything said about it." Ela looked from Jing to Korra. "What does that have to do with anything...?"

"I don't know," Korra admitted. “But it's something worth investigating. Can you show me where her office is? I’d like to see if I could find something.”

Bolin stared up at the imposing figure. “Korra? Is this a friend of yours?” The earthbender grinned nervously, eyebrows rising as sweat beaded on his forehead.

Korra grinned up at the man confidently. “More of an acquiantance,” she said.

“Meet Gombu, leader of a certain rebellious biker gang from a village on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se.”

The man gave a brief nod, bright green hair swaying as he smirked. “Long time no see, Avatar. So what’s the deal? Got some issues with the authorities up here?”

Korra nodded. “ 


End file.
